Detection of RNA sequences in cultures of a stealth virus isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a health care worker with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Case report.

A cytopathic stealth virus was cultured from the cerebrospinal
fluid of a nurse with chronic fatigue syndrome. Reverse
transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) performed on
the patient's culture yielded positive results with primer
sets based on sequences of a previously isolated African green
monkey simian-cytomegalovirus-derived stealth virus. The same
primer sets did not yield PCR products when tested directly on
DNA extracted from the cultures. The findings lend support to
the possibility of replicative RNA forms of certain stealth
viruses and have important implications concerning the choice
of therapy in this type of patient.